Why we are sending U17 boys to Korea Republic - Sanusi

The Nigeria Football Federation has explained why it decided that
the U17 National Team, Golden Eaglets, participate in the forthcoming 2016 U19
Suwon Continental Cup tournament.

General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, told thenff.com on
Thursday that the Federation is encouraged to sustain the team’s momentum and
prepare it for bigger challenges as a result of the series of examinations done
to ascertain the fact they are truly U17 players.

“Apart from the tests conducted by the NFF, there was a medical
team from CAF that subjected the players to another thorough examination. We
are very sure the boys are U17 players and we must do everything to prepare
them for bigger challenges, as they will constitute the next U20 team.

“They showed naivity and a level of innocence in the way they
approached the match in Niger Republic, and that was partly why they were
intimidated out of the African qualifying series.”

Sanusi assured that apart from the Suwon tournament, the NFF will
keep the team busy in the coming year with a series of invitational tournaments
and friendly matches, to get the players exposed and more matured for the
qualifying series of 2019 Africa U20 Cup of Nations.

A team of 22 players and 10 officials of the Golden Eaglets will
depart Nigeria on Monday, 7th November for Korea Republic, for the U19 Suwon
Continental Cup.

The Eaglets are scheduled to take on their counterparts from
England on Wednesday, 9th November, play Iran the following day and tackle the
host team on Saturday, 12th November.